An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating with little or no user input. An autonomous vehicle senses its environment using sensing devices such as radar, light detection and ranging (lidar) devices, image sensors, and the like. The autonomous vehicle system further uses information from global positioning systems (GPS) technology, navigation systems, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure technology, and/or drive-by-wire systems to navigate the vehicle.
Vehicle automation has been categorized into numerical levels ranging from Zero, corresponding to no automation with full human control, to Five, corresponding to full automation with no human control. Various automated driver-assistance systems, such as cruise control, adaptive cruise control, and parking assistance systems correspond to lower automation levels, while true “driverless” vehicles correspond to higher automation levels.
With traditional manually-controlled vehicles, the vehicle operator is capable of tailoring the feel of the ride to his or her particular tastes and comfort dynamically and in real-time. However, automated vehicles operating in a fully autonomous mode may lack the ability to respond to conditions in real-time in a manner that accounts for the tastes or preferences of a particular occupant.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that allow automated vehicles to account for occupant preferences and tailor ride characteristics. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.